Jamie Gold is the winner of the largest cash prize in a televised sports event – $12 million for the 2006 World Series of Poker Main Event. After outlasting 8,772 players over the course of eleven grueling days, Gold instantly became a poker-star and one of the many faces of the game. Having been taught poker at a very young age by his grandfather, winning the WSOP was somewhat of a life-long dream for Jami Gold, who had a mere $100K in cashes before making the gargantuan score. Since then, Jamie’s life has been a whirlwind of magazine covers, article publications, and various T.V. appearances on shows like GSN’s “High Stakes Poker”, NBC’s “Poker After Dark” and “National Heads Up Championship”, ABC’s “Celebrity Pro-Am”, and of course, ESPN’s “World Series of Poker”.
As with many other poker professionals, Jamie Gold started somewhere else – in his case, as a talent agent interning with J. Michael Bloom. After moving to Los Angeles at the age of 21, Gold worked for a few years before co-founding the successful Gold-Bouchard management company that boasted such clients as James Gandolfini, Jimmy Fallon and Felicity Huffman. He is now the acting head of an entertainment company called Buzznation.
In balancing life, poker, and a job while still being able to donate some of his time and wealth, Jamie Gold has earned a very becoming moniker: The Poker Philanthropist. Chief among his charitable endeavors is his involvement in the fight against ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, the illness which claimed the life of his father, Robert. He has also attended, supported, or hosted more than 40 charity events since his WSOP victory. Whether he’s busy with his professional career, playing on the felt, or our giving back to the community, Jamie Gold is a true champion.
